Ukrainian community and Bower students collaborate in new project

A unique collaboration between Fáilte Isteach and the TY students from Our Lady’s Bower secondary school has seen members of the Ukrainian community in Athlone benefit from a packed programme of social interaction over the past number of months.

The programme, which began in March, involved TY students from the Bower meeting up with the Ukrainian refugees who are currently living in the former Bower convent for a weekly programme of social get-togethers which included playing cards, board games, badminton, table tennis and dancing.

TY co-ordinator Ethna Benson said the programme has been “hugely beneficial” for both the members of the Ukrainian community and the TY students. “We have had lots of interaction over the past three months and lovely friendships have developed,” she said.

The Ukrainians got a chance to practice their language skills with the TY students through activities such as playing cards and board games, and the students, in turn, loved the opportunity to forge new friendships, learn about life in Ukraine and help out in whatever way they could.

On Thursdays, the Bower TY students shared their PE classes with members of the Ukrainian community so that they could enjoy enjoy badminton and table tennis together and the combined group also had a numbe of great dance offs!

“We did the sean nós, Siege of Ennis and Wagon Wheel and they showed us their Ukrainian folk dances,” said Ethna Benson, who added that the dancing “went down a treat with everyone -it's a universal language!”

Ethna says that, while the Ukrainian women living in the old Bower convent are “very grateful and happy” to have good accommodation, they do not have the opportunity to participate in many activities, so they “enjoyed coming down to the school for the change of scenery, to meet the girls and to take part in the different activities.”

She added that it also “ It also helped a lot with practising English conversation - for both visitors and students.”

Ms Benson said the TY students and the Ukrainians have had “great fun” over the last few months and the collaboration helped the displaced people from the war-torn country to “distract themselves for a little while from the awful upheaval in their lives.”

She also expressed the hope that the Bower could continue to collaborate with the Ukrainian community during the new school term in September and add to the list of activities, if possible.